Blue Jays: Joe Carter overlooked by Today’s Game Era Committee

Former Toronto Blue Jays World Series hero Joe Carter received fewer than five Hall of Fame votes from the Today’s Game Era Committee.

The 16-member board opted to elect Harold Baines and Lee Smith from a list that included the likes of Joe Carter, Will Clark, Lou Pinella, Albert Belle, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, and George Steinbrenner.

According to CBS Sports, the committee consists of the following voting members:

The Today’s Game Committee is one of the four eras committees that replaced the old Veterans Committee. The four committees meet every few years to vote on players and other baseball personnel from specific eras.

The 16-person Today’s Game Committee consisted of Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven, Pat Gillick, Tony La Russa, Greg Maddux, Joe Morgan, John Schuerholz, Ozzie Smith, and Joe Torre; major league executives Al Avila, Paul Beeston, Andy MacPhail, and Jerry Reinsdorf; and media members/baseball historians Steve Hirdt, Tim Kurkjian, and Claire Smith.

Carter previously appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2004, however, he only received 3.4% of the votes and was removed from any future ballots after he did not receive the required minimum 5% from the BBWAA writers.

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Carter spent seven seasons north of the border in Toronto and is notoriously famous for hitting the biggest home run in franchise history. “Joltin’ Joe” got the best of Philadelphia Phillies closer, Mitch Williams walking off the 1993 World Series Championship and capping Back-To-Back titles for the Blue Jays.

The former outfielder enjoyed a 16-year career with stops in not only Toronto but Chicago, Cleveland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Baltimore. Carter retired with a .259/.306/.464 stat line that included 396 round trippers and a 19.6 WAR.

Unfortunately for Carter, he will never be enshrined in Cooperstown but regardless no baseball writer will ever be able to take away that storied October 23rd night in Toronto.